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Subject: Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion on Walker Percy

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  • From: "Tommy Armstrong" <tfa AT brickengraver.com>
  • To: "'Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion'" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [percy-l] LITR
  • Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 21:07:42 -0400

Are we quite sure that Fr. Weatherbee and Curl are Episcopal priests?

I need to get out my copy--

"its collection of Russian
> ikons and bleeding Mexican crucifixes."--that sounds Roman to me- and my
daughter just finished reading it and she said they were Romans.

Percy thought Episcopal Priests a bit wishy-washy as I remember.

Not so sure Percy would agree with

"The best lack all convictions, while the worst Are full of
passionate intensity. -- WB Yeats

When talking about priests.

Tommy Armstrong
PO Box 484
Lillington, NC 27546
http://www.brickengraver.com

The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the
everydayness of his own life. To become aware of the possibility of the
search is to be onto something. Not to be onto something is to be in
despair.

Walker Percy






> -----Original Message-----
> From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
> RHONDA MCDONNELL
> Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 5:41 PM
> To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [percy-l] LITR
>
> You're right, Episcopalian is the American term. For what
> it's worth, chapter 12 begins, "Father Weatherbee sat behind
> Jack Curl's mahogany desk with its collection of Russian
> ikons and bleeding Mexican crucifixes." Both Weatherbee and
> Curl are Episcopalian. What I can't remember is why Percy
> made them Episcopalian. He discusses it in an interview, but
> I don't have the time to dig it up. While I'm here in chapter
> 12, Fr. Weatherbee's rant:
>
> How can we be the best earest most generous people on earth,
> and at the same time so unhappy? How harsh everyone is here!
> How restless! How impatient!
> How worried! How sarcastic! How unhappy! How hateful! How
> pleasure-loving!
> How lascivious! Above all, how selfish! Why is it that we
> have more than any other people, are more generous with what
> we have, and yet are so selfish and unhappy? Why do we think
> of hothing but our own pleasure? I cannot believe my eyes at
> what I see on television. It makes me blush with shame.
> Did you know that pleasure-seeking leads to cruelty? That is
> why more and more people beat their children. Children
> interfere with pleasure. Do you hate children? Why can't we
> be grateful for our great blessings and thank God? . . . Why
> is it that Americans who are the best dearest most generous
> people on earth are so unhappy?"
>
> He's definitely in the same vein as Father Smith. And Boomer
> (wasn't that his name?) is Last Gentleman is of the Jack Curl
> type. The question beginning of this line of thought,
> regarding Percy's priests, is a good one.
> It looks like he's working from two types--my question is,
> can Val from Last Gentleman be grouped with Frs. Weatherbee and Smith?
> --Rhonda
> The best lack all convictions, while the worst Are full of
> passionate intensity. -- WB Yeats
>
>
> >From: "Jonathan Potter" <jdp AT scn.org>
> >Reply-To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion"
> ><percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> >To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion"
> ><percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> >Subject: Re: [percy-l] LITR
> >Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 10:02:24 -0700
> >
> >I thought Fr. Weatherbee (the priest Will questions at the end,
> >grabbing his
> >arm) was Roman Catholic. It's been awhile since I've read
> it, but I'm
> >pretty sure it was just the priest earlier in the book that was
> >Anglican/Episcopalian.
> >
> >Jonathan Potter
> >Spokane WA
> >
> >
> >On 4/8/06, RHONDA MCDONNELL <rhonda_mcdonnell AT msn.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > wasn't the first one you mention the guy that wore the
> jumpsuits and
> >acts
> > > more like a building super than a priest? Jack Curl maybe? The
> > > second
> >was
> > > Fr. Weatherbee, whose rant regarding the behavior of Americans is
> > > genius--wasn't the quote something about his silly (or
> simple), holy
> >face?
> > > Weatherbee is definitely linked to Fr. Smith. He seems to be daft
> > > but
> >he's
> > > really the one that's onto something that no one else is paying
> >attention
> > > to. He knows the truth of things. That's why Will asks him the
> > > important questions. Worth noting is that the priests in
> 2nd Coming
> > > are Anglican
> >(as
> > > is the priest Lance is named for in Lancelot).
> > >
> > > --Rhonda
> > > The best lack all convictions, while the worst Are full of
> > > passionate intensity. -- WB Yeats
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: <Robert_Pauley AT oxy.com>
> > > >Reply-To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion"
> > > ><percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > >To: <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > >Subject: Re: [percy-l] LITR
> > > >Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 10:23:07 -0700
> > > >
> > > >A couple of priests played pivotal roles in The Second
> Coming. I
> > > >don't recall his name, but the parish priest always trying to
> > > >encourage Will Barrett to join his church's men's group
> outings and
> > > >otherwise come "into the fold" was one, and represented the kind
> > > >the extreme earnestness which Percy, or at least Barrett, found
> > > >simultaneously cloying and yet not unimportant to a
> community. The
> > > >second was an older, former renegade missionary who
> jolts Will into
> > > >his final, redemptive awareness that "a gift may be a sign of a
> > > >giver." I found this Percy novel to be his most
> accomplished and
> > > >accessible: a solidly grounded meditation on suburban
> malaise and
> > > >self-delusion, an effective and prescient social satire (Will's
> > > >daughter's "new-age" enthusiasms
> >are
> > > >hilarious), and a touching love story. Not easy to pull
> off. It
> > > >tracked a character straight through from the impulse to
> suicide to
> > > >a saving awareness without ever resorting to the kind of dopey
> > > >flourishes of so many other social satires of the time -
> and afterward.
> >Basically,
> > > >Will Barrett loses his mind without ever losing his
> head. I also
> > > >appreciated the fact that it followed up on Will Barrett after
> > > >leaving him off in a Santa Fe wasteland so many years before.
> > > >
> > > >Peace.
> > > >
> > > >________________________________
> > > >
> > > >From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > > >[mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
> Dye, Steve
> > > >Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 7:35 AM
> > > >To: Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion
> > > >Subject: Re: [percy-l] LITR
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >You are asking a very loaded question - it will be
> interesting to
> > > >see the responses you get!
> > > >
> > > >Steven L. Dye, MA
> > > >Director
> > > >Bluegrass MH-MR Board, Inc.
> > > >1500 Leestown Road, Suite 338
> > > >Lexington, KY 40511
> > > >
> > > >-----Original Message-----
> > > >From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > > >[mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
> Gray, Rich
> > > >Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 10:31 AM
> > > >To: Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion
> > > >Subject: Re: [percy-l] LITR
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >________________________________
> > > >
> > > >From: Dye, Steve [mailto:sldye AT bluegrass.org]
> > > >Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 9:43 AM
> > > >To: Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion
> > > >
> > > >Have any of you considered the role of priests in
> Percy's novels?
> > > >Is there any common thread?
> > > >
> > > >In The Moviegoer is there a priest? The role grows into a main
> > > >character in The Thanatos Syndrome, Father Reynaldo
> Smith. There
> > > >must be a purpose for these priests.
> > > >
> > > >As a Protestant Christian, I would like to know if
> Catholic Percy
> > > >readers see any of these priests as realistic.
> > > >
> > > >Rich Gray
> > >
> > >
> > > >--
> > > >An archive of all list discussion is available at
> > > >https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> > > >
> > > >Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download
> today - it's
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> > >
> > > --
> > > An archive of all list discussion is available at
> > > https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> > >
> > > Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
> > >
>
>
> >--
> >An archive of all list discussion is available at
> >https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> >
> >Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today
> - it's FREE!
> http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
>
> --
> An archive of all list discussion is available at
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
>
> Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy





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